Amazon Bows Consumer-Direct Video Platform

10 May, 2016 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Taking a page from YouTube, subscription streaming and transactional VOD, Amazon May 10 announced the launch of Amazon Video Direct (AVD). The platform gives video creators a platform to sell their content directly to Prime members.

The e-commerce giant is offering a monthly $1 million award fund to the top 100 AVD titles on Prime Video.

Specifically, Amazon Video Direct gives content creators and distributors the ability to include content at Prime Video at no charge to Prime members; as an add-on subscription through the Streaming Partners Program; as a transactional VOD rental or electronic-sellthrough transaction; or available to all Amazon customers as ad-supported fare.

Video providers can make their titles available in any country where Amazon Video is available, including the United States, Germany, Austria, United Kingdom and Japan; with support for all the devices Amazon Video on which is available, such as: Fire TV, Fire and other iOS and Android tablets, connected TVs, game consoles, iOS and Android phones, and laptops.

Amazon Video includes Amazon Original Series, through Prime Video; monthly subscriptions to Showtime OTT and Starz Now; and new-release movies and current TV shows for rent or purchase.

“There are more options for distribution than ever before and with Amazon Video Direct, for the first time, there’s a self-service option for video providers to get their content into a premium streaming subscription service,” Jim Freeman, VP of Amazon Video, said in a statement.

The new platform would appear to be a second attempt to meld user-generated video content, producers and directors that was the genesis of Amazon Studios’ launch in 2010.

Instead, Amazon Studios quickly morphed into a Hollywood-like operation featuring mainstream talent, producers and directors creating theatrical releases and television programming, including award-winning “Transparent” and “Mozart in the Jungle,” Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq, Woody Allen’s Cafe Society with Kristin Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg; Nicolas Winding Refin’s horror film The Neon Demon with Elle Fanning; and Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson, starring Adam Driver, among others.

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